Averof Neophytou is the first political figure to make an announcement, thereby officially—and very prematurely—kicking off the 2028 election campaign.
We note three key points from his announcement: The first is the clear political narrative on the Cyprus issue that he has been carefully crafting for some time. In recent months, he has argued that the Cyprus issue transcends party lines and that he himself would not hesitate to support even the President if the latter were to take bold steps. Following the setback in New York, he will focus on the argument that, since the President has not opened a single roadblock, he himself is better equipped to handle the critical nature of the situation. And this will also be his argument against the “Alarmists” regarding the reasons he is running. That, unlike Anita Dimitriou—who was discussing presidential polls while António Guterres was in Cyprus—for him, this is his sole priority.
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The second point is that he preempted the moves by DISY President Anita Dimitriou. Now the question that arises is whether Averof Neophytou’s moves will deter her, given the fear of a three-way split in the party and the serious possibility that she herself could be led to a defeat.
The third point is that he has not made it clear whether his candidacy will be approved through the DISY process. At this point, Pindarou is expected to press Averof Neophytou to take a clear stance. The prediction is that he will not do so until he determines what the DISY President intends to do.
All of this, of course, stems from the fact that Averof Neophytou does not trust Anita Dimitriou. He felt that the DISY President broke her promise when she asked him to help her get elected Speaker of the House on the condition that she let him run for the presidency himself. And with the leak of the polls, he concluded that the leadership’s goal was to undermine his own candidacy.
What is certain is that this is the worst-case scenario for Pindarou. It appeared that the party would place particular emphasis on party discipline and would call on Averof Neophytou to explain whether his candidacy depends on the party process or not. And if the former DISY president proceeds outside the process, he will have to explain how the Averof Neophytou of 2028 has become the Nikos Christodoulides of 2023, who once labeled him a renegade. And for what reasons he does not trust the party’s process.
It is now evident that we are in a new political landscape, and it is becoming clear that parties and their collective decisions are being nullified. And that they are being replaced by a political tactic without rules.
Watch Marina Oikonomidou’s commentary on ALPHA’s main newscast:
READ ALSO: DISY’s first statement following Averof’s announcement: The nomination can only take place “through the party’s established statutory procedures” | AlphaNews
